Accessibility recommendations floated for town hall building

Wheelchair accessible counters, washrooms and a wheelchair ramp with a gentler slope are among the recommended upgrades outlined in an independent accessibility audit on the Bracebridge municipal offices.

The results of the audit, which was undertaken by SPH Planning and Consulting in mid-October was tabled before councillors at a meeting this month by accessibility consultant Heather Elston. The audit examined both interior and exterior barriers to residents with disabilities, and was done within the context of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, a law which aims to make municipalities fully accessible by 2025.

“As far as this building goes, this represents the face of the municipality, this is where people come to visit their elected officials, this is the place where people come to get permits and apply to do things on their own private property,” said Elston. “This is a major employer for the Town of Bracebridge. This is a very public-facing building, and you have a variety of people from all walks of life coming here.”

One of the priority upgrades recommended had to do with the wheelchair ramp at the front of the building.

“There were some issues there in terms of the slope, there was not a level landing provided anywhere along the ramp… if you were going to use the power assist button, you’re sitting on a slope,” said Elston.

The steep slope of the ramp, she said, could also make accessing the mail slot difficult for some residents with disabilities. Bricks and pavement outside the town hall, also no longer provide visitors with the desired “smooth and stable surface” and should be fixed.

Inside the building, the consultant’s report suggested modifying customer service reception counters to make them accessible to residents with wheelchairs.

“We recommend that you install at least one accessible customer service counter, and we are suggesting that be the main reception,” she said. “This building is the face of the community here in Bracebridge… to right off the bat be confronted with a barrier to getting good customer service or access to an elected official… it’s not an ideal situation.”

Creating a fully accessible washroom – either by modifying the existing facilities or creating a new “universal toilet room” – Elston said, should also be top of mind.

“I’ve talked to a lot of people with disabilities and they tell me that once they get into a building, the washroom is the No. 1 thing to them,” she said. “We can all understand that, nobody wants to go to a building where you’re not going to be able to use the washroom.”

Other recommendations in the consultant’s report include the installation of more automatic doors throughout the building, and for the town to install more “accessible signage” throughout the building.

“Accessible signage should consider such things as the use of colour, symbols, Braille, tactile working and type and size of font,” the consultant’s report reads.

If every single one of the consultant’s recommendations are implemented, the report shows an estimated cost that would exceed $269,000. If only the top priority recommendations are executed, the cost is estimated at $171,000.

Elston told councillors that part of that burden can be offset if the town seeks more accessible options in the course of routine maintenance and upgrades.

“If you’re going to replace the carpet and you have that procurement piece where you look at the accessibility and you ask the vendor… is this pattern suitable for people with low vision or people who have dementia – if you start sort of easing into that proactive state, it’s much more cost efficient than reacting to a one-off,” she said.